On Being a Dictator: Using Dictation to Be a Better Writer

by Kevin J. Anderson, Martin L Shoemaker, Greg Vose

Tired of being stuck in a chair behind a desk?

Do you want to write more without sacrificing your health and sanity?

Learn how you can get more written while
*Hiking or just going for a stroll
*Driving
*Watching your kids play at the park
*Taking a bath

Multiple New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson has written 160 books—nearly fifteen million words!—most of them by dictating into a hand-held recorder while hiking.

Award-winning novelist and short story writer Martin L. Shoemaker dictates chapters and stories while driving, turning his daily commute into a productive work session.

These two die-hard “dictators,” share their techniques and insights into how dictation can help you
*Improve your writing productivity
*Use otherwise lost time to brainstorm, plot, develop characters, write articles, and more
*Get inspired by leaving your confined office and getting a fresh perspective elsewhere
*Stay in shape while writing

On Being a Dictator, part of the Million Dollar Writing Series, will help you think outside the box, consider a different writing method, and up your game in the fast-paced ever-changing world of publishing.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Productivity, Reference

134 pages, Paperback

Published January 11, 2025

About the author

Yes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.

I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.

I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.

My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.

Reviews

[Sebastien Castell · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a number of books out there for authors on how to use dictation. By comparison, this one's a bit short and a bit light on specifics. However it has the benefit of being written by an author with more than a hundred books under his belt and who's been using dictation for many years, which makes his advice a bit more credible and trustworthy than the folks who write one or two novels you've never heard of and then proceed to churn out self-help books in volume.

Another virtue of On Being a Dictator is that it was written in collaboration with Martin Shoemaker, who has a different approach to writing than Anderson, so you're getting not just one by-the-numbers plan to follow but a two divergent thoughts about the writing process and how it affects using dictation.

It's a short book, making it a quick read, and by the end it gave me a renewed sense of wanting to give dictation another shot. After all, who would want to follow Kevin J. Anderson as he hikes in the mountains and dictates a bestseller along the way?

[Stan James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim volume is basically Kevin J. Anderson and Martin L. Shoemaker telling you why they use voice dictation for their writing, and the specifics of how they do it. Their techniques differ--Shoemaker dictates while driving a one hour commute to and from work (and emphasizes the safe way to do so), while Anderson usually takes a digital voice recorder with him when he is out on hikes, keeping fit while staying productive. They sometimes overlap methods and Anderson in particular makes use of typing services, which can transcribe at a typical cost of one cent per word or thereabouts. He admits this is not suitable for all writers. A 100,000 word novel would cost $1,000 to transcribe, a hefty sum for a lot of people, especially those new to writing.

Each author also uses dictation for brainstorming, tossing out ideas, character background and more into their recordings. Shoemaker uses Dragon Professional 15.0 to transcribe his recordings and is satisfied with its accuracy, noting that cleanup is always part of the editing process, regardless of writing method.

They cover all the basics--when and where to dictate, overcoming the embarrassment of talking to yourself in public, getting comfortable with the sound of your own voice, and more.

All of this is good stuff, and both writers present their use cases in convincing fashion. The book does lack a certain amount of depth--this is Anderson and Shoemaker relating their experiences, with a minimum of advice, technical or otherwise. Those looking for more specifics on using voice dictation for writing may be better served by checking out The Writer's Guide to Training Your Dragon by Scott Baker (which still covers the latest version of Dragon as of this writing, August 2019) or Chris Fox's 5,000 Words Per hour.

Still, this is very much a worthy read, if for no other reason than to provide a little more incentive to making the jump to using voice dictation.

[Joseph John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kevin Anderson and Martin Shoemaker have pumped out an incredible number of books, and they do it by dictating their books. Whether they're hiking, driving, or pretty much anywhere that's away from their keyboard, their talking into a digital recorder, working on their next novel.

Here, they share their techniques and insights to help improve your productivity and use time otherwise lost to brainstorm, plot, and develop your characters. A 45-minute commute to work? That's an hour-and-a-half you could be using to work on your novel rather than listening to music or a podcast!

Kevin and Martin admit that, as a beginner, you're not going to be able to immediately start dictating your books. Like any skill, it's something you have to develop. Begin by brainstorming, talking through your plot. Transcribe your notes. With practice and time, your ability to dictate your story will improve.

I gave this 3 out of 5 stars because, while the book was short, it could have been much shorter. Like, a ten-page-pamphlet shorter. I'll also admit that I haven't put their techniques into practice. I can already type 100 words per minute, which is already about as fast as I can dictate while trying to pick through the right wording and phrases.

But if you're a slow typer, you may want to give it a shot.

[Nolan Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book because I couldn't find much info on the internet about the actual process of dictation aside from KJA and obscure youtube videos.

This was drafted in a week and it shows. It's vague and lacking in content. I'm confident that if one had a fifteen minute conversation with each of these authors about this precise topic, you could deduce and expound from those conversations at least twice as much actionable material as is found here.
They both have a phenomenal grasp of the process, as shown by the number of books they've written and sold, but this book reads as a cliffnotes version of a cash grab. I'm a bit disappointed, but would be lying if I said I'd expected something more.

Pros: Written by industry professionals with the credentials to back them up.
Cons: No lessons, advice, or things to practice aside from "Just Practice". Absolutely no grasp or reference to the beefy amount of resources available for those not using a literal handheld recorder. Which makes sense- they're writing the book, after all.

Overall, I can't say I'd recommend this to others unless they specifically asked after this precise topic. Will keep it on my shelf as reference for practice.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting and healthy way to write a book.

The idea of hiking and writing sounds fantastic. I can't wait to give that one a go. I can imagine it would take a lot of practice.

It would be a great technique to master. To be able to capture the creative prose without thinking too hard on typing and getting the words out quickly. The results are there to see as Kevin J Anderson shares his techniques and allows access to his own recordings that he later turned into published books.

The book describes how to get started, from equipment and programs to use, to whether to use a human transcriber or not.

As someone who doesn't speak very clearly, and stumbles over his words in his natural speaking voice, I'm not sure this is the road for me to take. But I love the idea, and I'm sure if I practiced this, I'd become better at speaking. (To clarify, English is my first language... I'm just an awkward mess.)

I think this technique would be great for taking notes and working out characters and storylines. I think I'd transcribe it myself to begin with before taking anything further.

If you have good diction and speak in half-decent prose, then I don't see why you wouldn't try this.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction into transcribing your work.

This book I chose because of the need to start learning how to dictate my stories so that I am not always tied down to a computer. It did not give lessons on dictating, but instead have their reasoning and ways that they go about using dictation for their books.

It was pretty short. I finished it in a few nights, but it told me what other dictation books have said--start getting used to it, and the more you do it, the better you will be at dictation.

I liked the candid nature of the book, and seeing their approaches to dictation while doing normal life activities, such as driving or hiking. Also, I realize I am going to need to start practicing dictation drills from other books, because it takes a lot of practice to be comfortable with doing it. I was trying to find an easy way out, and now I realize that there isn't. And I'm okay with that.

[Kaye Lynne Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This resource is also valuable because the two co-authors each have different approaches to dictation which fit best into their individual lifestyles, proving that there is no one ‘right way’ to use this method and technology....
The book also includes descriptive lists of the different types of equipment and transcription software available and the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as transcription services....
I am impressed with this idea of turning otherwise idle activities, creativity-wise into productive writing time. On Being a Dictator has convinced me I should give writing by dictation another go. Maybe you should, too.

See my full review on my blog: https://kayelynnebooth.wordpress.com/...

[C.L. Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long time ago I used Dragon NaturallySpeaking when it was fairly new and I was in college. I concocted a couple stories with it and eventually it fell off my radar as a tool for writing. A few month back, I had the pleasure of meeting Martin L. Shoemaker at a convention and spoke with him at length about his use of voice dictation to write stories.

This book is a good resource for anyone seeking to increase their writing productivity. Whether you intend to use dictation software or not, I think reading this small book will encourage you to try it. It has certainly encouraged me.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been inspired to give dictation a try!
This a quick, to-the-point read (I think it took me about an hour, start to finish) that's very practical. The point is to help you learn about the benefits of dictation as an author, maybe even enough to try it. And I will, definitely. The idea of 5K word count days is just too tempting.

[Nic Lishko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought this was genuinely useful. Got myself a little recorder and I'm going to work on making it a daily habit. It is SUPER awkward at first to be walking around and speaking out character things, but I'm hoping the writing first draft chapter bits will come more naturally. This is an incredible tool that has the possibility of increasing my output, so I'm determined to learn!

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, easy-to-digest, how-to book on using dictation for writing. It's 58 pages are packed with first hand information and actual products the authors use with their own writing. A great alternative for people who struggle to sit down at a computer and type.

[Mickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're curious about dictating story, or pretty much anything, this book will get you over the hump. there's an intimidation factor on how to make dictation work and after reading this it was dispelled (for me). Worth every penny.

[Rachel McCollin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short book but packed with useful advice. I tried to plunge into dictating last year by writing a novel that way and it didn't work at all. The advice for getting started that this book gives has inspired me to try again, more realistically this time.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Resource

This is a fascinating concept. I recently heard about dictating books instead of typing. On Being a Dictator was recommended. This is a fast read chock full of practical advice. Love it.

[Aurélien C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite useful ! Very interesting method that i will try.

[Rusty Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, short read and introduction to dictating

This book have me a little inspiration and kick in the pants to give dictation another try. Thanks for sharing your workflows!

[Robin Patchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to try

You’ve inspired me. I’m going to start by brainstorming my next novel. And then I’m going to try dictating it. We’ll see!

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

a joy to read. Anderson is an author I have enjoyed for a while, but I was not aware he dictated his work. This is a skill I am working on. The book was very helpful

[Jon Cronshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful

I'll be testing out dictation again, but using human transcribers as I've had issues with software versions on the past.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and simple book that outlines the potential of dictation over typing.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring but useful!

[Vanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very helpful and I'm starting to act on its suggestions. If you want to begin dictating your work this is the book to read. It gives two perspectives from two different dictators. One is a plotter and one is a pantser. They split into different perspectives in other areas too. It gives the reader choices.

[Glasdow Teacosy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful resource. Martin’s sections were far more detailed than Kevin’s, which is ironic because Martin is the pantser.

My only complaint was that the chapter on learning how to dictate didn’t explain how to organize all of the dictated notes one generates when formulating a story. I used to use an Olympus recorder years ago— before the advent of digital recording—and I produced a shoebox filled with dozens of microcassettes. They were all filled with wonderful, important ideas. However, without an organized system, the box quickly became just a pile of microcassettes. Even with labels marking dates or themes, each 60 minute tape represented multiple sessions. They became unusable because I lacked the time to sit down and listen to each tape to figure out what was on them. Dozens of microcassettes, each 60 minutes long? It’s in an enormous undertaking.

Similarly, digital recorders will produce folders upon folders filled with audio files. Even if the sessions are labeled by date or topic, sifting through all that data requires time. I would have liked it if Kevin had addressed his system for managing all that data and making it useful for his projects.

That was my only complaint. The rest of the book, albeit short, was chock-full of excellent suggestions and explanations. I feel as if I am well informed now on this dictation process. In fact, I dictated this review. Excelsior!

[Peter West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does what it says on the tin

A good behind the curtain look at how two succesful authors use dictation in their work. They have different aproaches to the same problem and that provides a more balanced view of how you can use dictation to maximise your time and ramp up that word count.
I'd like to use transcription software, but like Kevin, I use a Mac so Dragon is no use to me. That's a great shame. There must be something else out there for Macs.

[Sam Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great, helpful little book!

It's concise, practical, and VERY readable. I look forward to putting this dictation idea to practice. As a writer and pastor, words and the proliferation of them are central to my work? Why wouldn't I give this a try?

[David Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

an enjoyable little book about how to dictate a book. I have already done it, based on things Anderson wrote previously, but this is more detailed and helpful. A good book that is actually enjoyable to read.

[Christie Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this on the train, brilliant info!
Required reading for anyone in the writing business!
Video review will be done on You Tube soon

[Andy Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars